The present invention relates to a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography system. In particular, the present invention relates to the modulator for such a system.
Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is a powerful separation technique that provides the superior chromatographic type separation to a complex mixture. It is the most significant development in the gas chromatography technology area during recent years. The key to make a conventional GC into a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is the modulation system. In the prior art, modulation is achieved by the trap and release mechanism called “thermal modulation”. This method of modulation for GC×GC requires coolants (liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide) to operate. It is relatively inconvenient and it creates difficulty in the coolant handling situation, especially in the remote location or in the manufacture plant environment.